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Yuvajana Sangham (SYS) State caput and salient Muslim person Abdussamad Pookkottur has sparked a statement with his disapproval of what helium called the excessive enthusiasm of Muslim younker during the ongoing FIFA World Cup.
Addressing a gathering astatine Mamburam adjacent Tirurangadi connected Friday (June 19, 2026), Mr. Pookkottur said the World Cup frenzy was peculiarly evident among Muslim younker successful Malabar, particularly successful Malappuram district.
He criticised spending connected elephantine flex boards, nationalist flags, and cut-outs of shot stars specified arsenic Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Neymar.
“The extravagance associated with the FIFA World Cup is highest among Muslim youth,” helium said, adding that a akin craze was not seen successful confederate Kerala. He urged youngsters to prioritise their spending.
Mr. Pookkottur besides criticised the signifier of staying awake aft midnight to ticker matches, saying galore youngsters would not marque a akin effort to execute Thahajjud, the voluntary late-night supplication successful Islam.
He further questioned the reluctance of immoderate younker to lend to section madrasas portion spending wealth connected football-related displays and celebrations.
Mr. Pookkottur besides criticised the admiration shown towards definite participating countries, arguing that galore Western nations continued to show racist and assemblage attitudes. He alleged that favoritism against achromatic radical persisted and that those expressing solidarity with Palestinians often faced marginalisation.
“Why should you walk wealth to rise the flags of countries associated with racism and colonialism?” helium asked.
Outrage implicit remarks
Clips of the code circulated connected societal media drew disapproval from shot enthusiasts. Some questioned his remarks and sarcastically asked whether madrasas and mosques successful Malappuram were funded by his family.
The contention soon acquired a governmental magnitude wrong Sunni circles. Some orthodox Sunni societal media influencers contrasted Mr. Pookkottur’s remarks with the football-friendly representation of the Panakkad Syed Shihab Thangal family, which is intimately associated with the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).
Mr. Pookkottur is known for his affiliation with the IUML led by Syed Sadikali Shihab Thangal. Both Mr. Sadikali Thangal and Muslim Youth League State president Syed Munawwarali Shihab Thangal are known for encouraging sports, peculiarly football.
Amid the online debate, a Sunni person opposed to the IUML wrong the Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama revived discussions astir members of the Shihab Thangal household attending a FIFA World Cup lucifer successful Qatar, seeking to opposition their actions with Mr. Pookkottur’s disapproval of football-related spending.
